The UK record for the hottest day in June was broken for a third day in a row on Friday, with temperatures reaching 37.3C in Suffolk, the Met Office has said.
The 50-year-old record was beaten by more than a full degree, highlighting the intensity of the heatwave which has gripped the country this week.
It has resulted in travel disruption, schools closing, and six NHS trusts declaring critical incidents after being overwhelmed with patients.
But the scorching heat is expected to ease off over the weekend, and a yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Scotland and parts of northern England.
The provisional hottest June temperature was recorded in the the village of Santon Downham on Friday.
It surpassed the high of 36.7 in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday, which itself had broken the 36.1 recorded in Gosport, Hampshire, the day before.
Wales saw a peak of 35.1C in the village in Flintshire, and Scotland’s highest temperature of 29.2C was recroded in Dumfries and Galloway.
It was cooler in Northern Ireland, where a high of 25.6C was recorded in County Down. A thunderstorm warning which had been place into Friday night was cancelled.
All four nations have experienced their highest temperatures of the year so far this week, with sweltering conditions of more than 20C continuing through the night for many in England and Wales – a phenomenon forecasters refer to as “tropical nights”.
Red warnings for extreme heat – meaning there is a population-wide risk of adverse health affects or danger to life – remain in place across London, the east and the south east until 21:00 BST on Friday.
There are also amber heat warnings in place until Saturday evening for south-west England, while thunderstorm